Chapter 516: Find The Professional

45 minutes.

The only time they have left to prepare was 45 minutes.

This was not an ordinary instance dungeon. Not even the hardest instance dungeon could compare with this situation before them.

This was absolute despair.

Every Awakened had gone through a number of trials of life and death. To survive within this game world, they must participate in instance dungeons. That was the equivalent of putting their life as a gambling chip time and again.

Risks? That was a commonplace issue for them.

However, this state of absolute despair facing them was on a completely different level.

Zero City had become a dead zone.

…

“There is no time for nonsense.” Bluesea grabbed the chest part of Angel Wu’s uniform and quickly said, “What is the plan? As the guardian protectors of Zero City, would the Angel Corps not have a plan for the worst-case scenario? Could it be you have never expected Zero City to be breached or invaded?”

“… … we have it.” Angel Wu forced Bluesea’s hand away and replied, “We did prepare a plan – but no one could have expected that the need to actually use it would arise.”

After a pause, Angel Wu continued in a cold voice, “Bluesea, as of now, I will require your full cooperation.”

“What other choice do we have? Fine! From this moment on, you will have the same authority over Blade Mountain Flame Sea Guild as I do!” Bluesea heavily gritted his teeth.

“If so, Angel Corps! All of you here, from this moment on… … execute Order 13! I repeat, execute Order 13! This is not a drill! This is an actual combat situation! Execute Order 13!

Angel Wu had jumped into his mech and used a loudspeaker to broadcast his command.

“Order 13… … humph, what an unlucky number.” Bluesea muttered to himself with a pale expression.

The Angel Corps personnel within the central square swiftly moved into action.

True to their reputation as guardian protectors of Zero City, the speed at which they took action was extremely fast. The tanks belonging to the Angel Corps that were on standby in the north street had moved into the central square, ignoring all others. The stairs, green spaces and ornaments standing between them and their objective were all trampled.

Over 20 tanks formed a crescent shaped defensive formation and their turrets were aimed at the teleportation matrix in the middle of the central square.

Buzzing sounds could also be heard from a distance. In less than five minutes, a large number of combat aircrafts quickly made their way to the central square. The aircrafts hovered over the square, enveloping the sky above.

Over tens of Sentinel mechs moved to occupy key positions around the central square. That was especially true of high grounds and the surrounding high-rise buildings, all of them were occupied by long-ranged units.

Tens of Angel Corps personnel swiftly rushed into the central square. There, they retrieved oval shaped metal objects out from their storage equipment and carefully set them up on various positions in the central square.

15 minutes had passed.

“Bluesea.” Angel Wu pulled Bluesea to the side and looked at the members who were busy at work. He lowered his voice as he quickly said, “This is our first line. However, the terrain here is too open. Our plan for this phase is to use our firepower to engage in an offensive against the invaders so that they would suffer from some losses.

“But as I had said, this place is too open and is unsuitable for snipers.

“For the second phase, we will use the best defensive terrain within Zero City to set up the second line of defence.”

“The best defensive terrain?”

Angel Wu raised his head to look to the south…

That was the critical spot in Zero City, the place where the oval shaped Board of Patriarchs’ building stood.

“The Board of Patriarchs’ building is near circular in shape… … a circular shape is the most suitable shape for defensive formations. Additionally, to the best of our knowledge, the material used to construct it is the best. It is the most durable. Moreover, the terrain there is also most suitable for defence. From a defensive point of view, it has sufficient dimensions to allow multi-angle crossfire. My men have already begun setting up the second defensive line in the Board of Patriarchs’ building.”

“So, the first line of defence would not be able to hold on for long, right?”

“That is a certainty.” Angel Wu gave Bluesea a glance. “However, I need time. I need to gain some precious time. Thus…”

“I understand.” Bluesea wrestled with his emotions for a moment. “I will have my men work with yours.”

It did not take long for tens of heavily armed Awakened ones to descend from the aircrafts belonging to Blade Mountain Flame Sea Guild. All of them were wearing [A] class protective suits.

“This is my most elite combat team. Blade Mountain Flame Sea Guild only have two such teams. I will now hand over the authority over them to you.”

Bluesea turned around to look at a middle-aged man who was leading Team Thunderstrike. “Yang Yi, from now on, you will be following Angel Wu’s commands!”

Yang Yi was a man with an angular face. He straightened his body and said, “Angel Wu, all 16 members of Team Thunderstrike reporting for duty! Our field of expertise is in blade attacks! Every one of us here is of the technological division. We have electromagnetic-tier and energy-tier weapons. We are proficient in the art of direct assault and ambushing. At the same time, we have four [A] class Combat Fortresses! Using our full power, we can hold off [A] class attacks or below for 10 minutes.”

“Very good.” Angel Wu sighed and pointed at the south street. “You will now be on standby there. I need you to quickly configure your weapons and be ready for combat at any moment.”

“Our combat mission?”

“In a moment, the enemy will invade. You are the first reserve team. Should the first line of defence falls short in manpower, you are to fill in the gaps with all your might. I want you to use everything in your disposal to get rid of the enemies in the central square. Attack indiscriminately!”

“Indiscriminately?” Yang Yi frowned when he heard that.

“Yes. Once the defensive line is broken, there will still be combat personnel from my side in the central square. However, there would be no other choice. We must utilize the most powerful attacks we have to damage our enemies and delay their advance.

“Additionally… … once we lose the central square, the area between this spot until the Board of Patriarchs’ building will become the second battlefield. I want you to delay the enemy advance at all cost. Delay them to buy time for my men at the Board of Patriarchs’ building to deploy their defences… … now, start preparing. Remember, all of the south street is yours!”

Yang Yi raised his eyebrows and turned to look at Bluesea. “Guild Leader, I need two more teams.”

“Put Team Six and Team Nine under your command.” Bluesea did not hesitate. “I believe you understand Angel Wu’s commands. Once we lose the central square, your men must use everything they have to delay the enemy’s advance through the south street. Anyone who attempts to move toward the Board of Patriarchs’ building is your target.”

“I will do my best.” Yang Yi clenched his teeth. Next, he turned away and left, a look of absolute determination on his face. The men behind him all turned around and left with their heads held high.

Angel Wu looked at their backs as they left and said, “Bluesea, I am beginning to regret.”

“Regret what?”

“When those bastards were trying to squeeze you out, I should have disregarded those bloody rules and stepped forward to help you. Looking at it now, Blade Mountain Flame Sea Guild is more reliable than the other resident guilds.”

…

The central square and the surrounding streets have fallen into chaos.

The outsiders gathering in the north street had been driven away.

It did not take long for the news to spread out. The news of Zero City suffering from an invasion spread like a plague.

Chaos broke out.

Some went into a frenzy and attempted to rush through the cordon. However, Angel Wu did not hesitate to suppress them. Several experts from Angel Corps stepped out and took action, killing several of the outsiders who attempted to cross the cordon.

After that, a team of Sentinel mechs drove the crowd of outsiders back into the north street.

Some of those outsiders simply left the street. They fled into the opposite buildings in an attempt to find some other ways to flee.

“We… … are we just going to ignore those people?” Chen Xiaolian knitted his brows as he looked at the chaos unfolding in the north street. “Those people are all Awakened ones. If we can organize them to fight…”

“There is no time.” Bluesea shook his head. “There is not much time left. There is presently only slightly more than 20 minutes left. They are a motley crowd. There is simply not enough time to organize them for battle. Even if we do manage to organize them, is there any guarantee that these people would not break down in the middle of the battle? What if they fight in a chaotic manner? We need highly organized combat personnel for this! Even if there are some people with considerable strength among this crowd, if they cannot obey orders, they would be of no use. Besides…”

After saying that, Bluesea’s voice came to a sudden halt.

Chen Xiaolian instantly realized Bluesea’s intent.

These people… … since they cannot be organized, then let fate decide their end.

Additionally, once the enemy invasion was underway, these people could also become useful cannon fodder.

If the outsider Awakened ones were to run around, they might end up attracting the invaders to various corners. The invaders must still expend some effort if they wanted to kill these outsider Awakened ones. This could help buy more precious time for those who were setting up the final defensive line in Zero City.

Although this move was very cruel and cold-blooded…

Chen Xiaolian sighed.

“All right, then. For now, this is the best we can do for the defences of the central square. I must now hurry back to the Board of Patriarchs’ building… … no matter how much of a bastard those fools may be, they would probably not continue being idiots at a time like this. However, they are probably still arguing in the Board of Patriarchs’ building. I must quickly make my way there to get them to organize their guild members and prepare for combat.”

After saying that, Bluesea looked at Chen Xiaolian and said, “You come with me. That place would likely be safer.”

Chen Xiaolian looked at Bluesea and suddenly said, “You go ahead first… … I will go look for you in a while.”

Guan Shan, who was standing beside him, was unable to stop himself from exclaiming, “Xiaolian? Have you gone mad? Where do you want to go at a time like this?”

“I will be heading to the Board of Patriarchs’ building soon. Don’t we still have 20 minutes?” Chen Xiaolian shook his head. There was a determined look on his face. “I will run back to the Board of Patriarchs’ building before the battle begins.”

Bluesea cast a profound gaze at Chen Xiaolian. “Fine, you have your own secrets… … I won’t be asking you about it now… … however, if you can do anything, Chen Xiaolian, you had best hurry. We don’t have much time. Guan Shan, you will follow Chen Xiaolian. You will be responsible for helping with any request he may have.”

After saying that, Bluesea jumped into the air and into one of the aircrafts hovering above. Next, the aircraft flew like the wind as it made its way toward the Board of Patriarchs’ building.

Guan Shan turned to look at Chen Xiaolian. This young man’s face was extremely pale and he took a deep breath. “Xiaolian, you…”

Chen Xiaolian turned his head back to look at the central square.

Battle equipment that were both large and small now filled the entirety of the entrance to the south street. There was the crescent shaped defensive line, the high-rise occupied by snipers and artillery and the combat aircrafts hovering in the sky.

The crowd in the north street had dispersed. However, some stubborn Awakened ones chose not to leave. Instead, they moved to the beach of the Sea of Love that was located right beside the central square.

There, they sat down and made preparations for battle.

Various forms of magic equipment, blades, shields, armours, technological type equipment, firearms, energy-tier weapons etc. could be seen. Some even brought out Combat Fortresses.

Clearly, these Awakened ones had also realized it. There was no meaning in trying to escape… … where could there escape to?

Might as well just prepare for battle here.

The Angel Corps were not sitting on their laurels either. Seeing what the outsider Awakened ones were doing, some peripheral combat personnel from the Angel Corps went forward to liaise with them one by one and temporarily organized them into a rough second line of defence.

Time remaining: 19 minutes 37 seconds.

“Where are we going now?” Guan Shan looked at Chen Xiaolian.

However, Chen Xiaolian did not give an answer.

Guan Shan looked at the defensive formation in the central square and was unable to stop himself from mumbling, “I have never seen such a spectacle before… … all of the Angel Corps have been mobilized. So much firepower! Xiaolian, do you think we can successfully defend Zero City?”

With some difficulty, Chen Xiaolian forced himself to face Guan Shan. Although he was unwilling to break the bad news to this young man who harboured a spark of hope in his eyes, Chen Xiaolian decided not to lie.

“I think… … not.” Chen Xiaolian shook his head. Then, he turned around and quickly walked toward the north street.

Guan Shan chased after Chen Xiaolian and asked, “Why? Do you think so little of us?”

Chen Xiaolian did not reply.

He looked at the orderly and futuristic looking buildings on either sides of the street.

This was Zero City and everything appeared as spectacular as it had back when he had first arrived.

A powerful city with its powerful residents who possessed a high degree of organizational capability and combat power… …

Yet, all of this…

A scene suddenly flashed through Chen Xiaolian’s mind.

In the punishment instance dungeon that he had experienced… …

The little town.

The little town that belonged to Conquerors Guild.

It had been reduced into a ruined battlefield. Damaged combat equipment, weaponry, mechs, tanks, aircrafts, magic equipment, all of those littered the place. Everything was in ruins.

Likewise, that place was their ‘home’.

Likewise, their guild possessed a high degree of organizational capability and combat power.

But in the end… … they were still destroyed.

The one he found seated in the safe room in the end, the pile of bones that was once someone named Kaiser was none other than the Guild Leader of the Conquerors Guild.

Perhaps, is this another cycle?

Chen Xiaolian forcefully shook his head.

He turned to look at Guan Shan, who was running beside him.

Guan Shan said, “Why do you think so little of us? Zero City has so many experts. It has seven great resident guilds, it has the Angel Corps! In terms of combat power, even if all the Awakened ones in the world come together, they would be no match for Zero City’s might.”

“Trust me, I know of a similar situation. A place that was similar to this but was completely destroyed,” Chen Xiaolian said coldly. “Now is not the time to hold on to it. Rather, we should be looking for the opportunity. Use this final moments to find a way to leave Zero City! There is no hope in trying to defend this place.”

“If so, where are you going now?”

“Find a certain someone,” answered Chen Xiaolian coolly. “I saw too many idiots in the control room within the Board of Patriarchs’ building. Thus, I believe that it would be hopeless in put our faith in them defending Zero City. Thankfully though, I did see a smart fellow there. A fellow with brains on him. Rather than put my hopes on those idiotic Patriarchs from the resident guilds, I would rather go find that smart fellow.”

“You mean… … that…”

“Gibbs,” Chen Xiaolian answered coolly. “He is a tech guy from the Angel Corps. Furthermore, it would appear that his rank is not that low. He should be a high-ranking staff member who specializes in monitoring Zero City’s ‘outer passageway system’. If there is someone within this city who understands the most about the entrance and exits for the outer passageways, this Gibbs would certainly be number one!”

They reached a fork in the street. After a pause, Chen Xiaolian quickly made a turn. “When he left the room, it was already too late. It was impossible for him to have left using the main gate. Thus, he must certainly still be in Zero City! Find him! In order to deal with a specific matter, we must get the assistance of the professional in that specific field!”

“Gibbs?” Guan Shan was stunned. “But… … how do we find him?”

“When he was leaving the control room, I threw a little ‘toy’ on his person.” Chen Xiaolian revealed a light smile. After saying that, he suddenly stopped moving.

In one breaths’ time, the two of them had covered a distance of over 500 metres. Despite the distance, it was nothing for these two men who had enhanced their bodies.

Before them was a low-density building. It had the appearance of a yacht.

“What is this place?”

“This place is… … eh? This is one of the properties belonging to Rodriar Guild. Many members from Rodriar Guild have their own rooms here.”

After listening to Guan Shan’s explanation, Chen Xiaolian knitted his brows. “After getting removed from his job, a high-ranking technical staff member from the Angel Corps came to Rodriar Guild’s residential building? This is interesting.”

After saying that, he raised his hand and looked at his Storage Watch. “Up front, mm… … probably on the fourth floor… … eh? The fellow is coming out? He is coming!”